Surely he received the job for good reason. We might dislike his fashion sense, but lets not tear down the man's educational credentials as pertains to his position within Vogue.

Ok, while I understand and respect his credentials, it does not matter to me. He may be a journalistic genius, but he has no style and he works at Vogue, not the NYTimes. To work at a place like Vogue*, you not only need credentials in journalism, etc. you also need style. Especially when you're the Editor-At-Large with a major influence on the magazine.

I was just reading...He is 6 foot 7! WOW, that is tall. He is also 62! He needs to retire, put out to pasture.

* This statement does not mean that I respect Vogue in any way/shape/form.

I think he puts input on the shoots and covers and he also cowrites alot books and does some freelance writing for other publications. He also styles some shows or did for chanel and others in paris. (or at least I heard he did)

I really need to know why is this man so relevant!
I know he has influenced for years some serious decision making in the industry, and I know he has worked for quite a long time with anna wintour, but the thing is WHY?!
When I try to think of what could make any of us tFSers relevant in any near future for the industry, i seek for some information on the people who i think are relevant right now, and there it is: facts, facts, facts... here are some examples of my list (not that i have a list, but these are the ones i could think of right now):

Anna Wintour, whether if you like her or not, undeniably does know how to lead people and how to make a magazine sell to the big audience. And she was always interested in young talents development (she had a major influence on galliano's career when he had even gone bankrupt)Hamish Bowles' rolodex is said to be the best of the industry's. His knowledge about history of both fashion and art, undeniable. Art studies at St Martins. His taste, always time and space appropriate.Anna Piaggi certainly looks like she has some serious issues to deal with in her mind, but you cant deny that she has an eye to identify what is to come in the seasons to follow right the moment she sees it (her "double pages" for italian vogue have proved that)Carine Roitfeld's style is right know one of the most followed. She really shows what a modern chic woman should look like today. Alongside with Ford and Testino, she helped gucci go from serious debt to the very top. She still does editorials for paris vogue, while running the magazine's direction.Lady Amanda Harlech: she may seem one of the most doubtful of all the list, because she works as a "muse"... but given her exquisite personal style, it is understandable that she has been at both galliano and lagerfeld's side for so many years.Susy Menkes: Dont know much about her beginnings, but besides the harsh unjustified critics every now and then that i find to be extremely vulgar, it is clear that she know how to write, and she knows how to understand fashion from both the artistic and finantial points of view.Designers in general dont need much to be justified. Just the fact that they know how to cut a piece of fabric and make it wearable on a persons body gives then on my eyes all the credit (personal opinions on what comes out of that piece of fabric are a totally different matter)The economists: i read of new Gucci Group CEO, new Chanel CEO, Mr. Arnault... all of them very impressive careers and education at the best universities of managment. Enough for me.Andre Leon Talley:..... WHY IS HE RELEVANT?.... there must be a reason besides being close to Anna and i am really willing to know them. Right now i seriously cant see them. He writes a couple of pages for vogue about whats going on in fashion right now (not even things to come imho) AND MOST IMPORTANTLY his lavish lifestyle (ritz in paris, tennis equipment from Vuitton, Ralph Lauren made to mesure clothes, Balenciaga capes, Roger Vivier diamond incrusted flats, traveling here, traveling there, louis vuitton bags...... on and on...)
does somebody here know why?

Who is his current assistant and how did she get there? I remember reading that they once hired a previous intern as his assistant (though she had interned there for a while) but now she's a fashion assistant.

ALT I think he helps with the overall image and feel of the atmosphere. He probably acts as a sort of advisor of Anna, and goes around promoting the Vogue brand, going out to talk, wheeling and dealing, etc.

^^Yes,he is the one that goes out to designers studios and socializes with them,and then reports back to Anna his thoughts,which is very important.And as a result(naturally)he is really good friends with top players(his close friends were everyone from Halston Gianni to Gianfranco.etc)and has acess other editors do not,and lets not forget he is in the game for a very long time now,and understands fashion very well.

Yes ... the "At Large" part of his title designates his job in the magazine biz. An Editor at Large is usually the one who is out and about at all the social functions and shows, smoozing with the important style makers ... learning about what is current, what the fashionistas are favoiring, what is being received well at the shows, getting the mood of the season ... all external activities. To do this well, a person needs to be part writer/reporter and a large part social butterfly. He seems well suited to this.

Anna Wintour is out there, too, of course ... but I'd be williing to be that aside from the important shows and an occasional important social gathering, that she' spends the majority of her time in the office managing and directing staff and the guiding the direction of the entire magazine.